Major Bible Themes

By Lewis Sperry Chafer

Chapter 32

SANCTIFICATION II

Beyond the brief study in the preceding chapter
of words and means related to the doctrine of Sanctification,
consideration should be given to the deeper aspects of the truth as
stated in the New Testament.

Though the exact meaning of the words
sanctify, holy, and saint is unchanged, there is a far deeper
reality indicated by their use in the New Testament than is
indicated by their use in the Old Testament. The Old Testament is a
"shadow of good things to come." This chapter is primarily concerned
with the New Testament revelation, which may be considered in three
divisions:

I. POSITIONAL SANCTIFICATION

This is a sanctification, holiness, and sainthood which is
accomplished by the operation of God through the body and shed blood
of our Lord Jesus Christ. We, who are saved, have been redeemed and
cleansed in His precious blood, forgiven all trespasses, made
righteous through our new headship in Him, justified, and purified.
We are the sons of God. All of this indicates a distinct
classification and separation, deep and eternal, through the saving
grace of Christ. It is based on facts of position which are true of
every Christian. Hence every believer is now said to be positionally
sanctified, holy, and is therefore a saint before God. This position
bears no relationship to the believer's daily life more than that it
should inspire him to holy living. The Christian's position in
Christ is, however, according to the Scriptures, the greatest
incentive to holiness of life.

The great doctrinal Epistles observe this order. They first state
the marvels of saving grace, and then conclude with an appeal for a
life corresponding to the divinely wrought position. (Note Rom 12:1;
Eph 4:1; Col 3:1.) We are not now accepted in ourselves: we are
accepted in the Beloved. We are not now righteous in ourselves: He
has been made unto us righteousness. We are not now redeemed in
ourselves: He has been made unto us redemption. We are not now
positionally sanctified by our daily walk: He has been made unto us
sanctification. Positional sanctification is as perfect as He is
perfect. As much as He is set apart, we, who are in Him, are set
apart. Positional sanctification is as complete for the weakest
saint as it is for the strongest. It depends only on his union and
position in Christ. All believers are classified as "the saints."
So, also, they are classified as "the sanctified" (note Act 20:32;
1Co 1:2; 1Co 6:11; Heb 10:10, Heb 10:14; Jud 1:1). The proof that
imperfect believers are nevertheless positionally sanctified and are
therefore saints, is found in the First Epistle to the Corinthians.
Corinthian Christians were unholy in life (1Co 5:1-2; 1Co 6:1-8),
but they are twice said to have been sanctified (1Co 1:2; 1Co 6:11).

By their position, then, Christians are rightly called "holy
brethren" and "saints." They have been "sanctified by the offering
of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Heb 10:10), and are "new
men" who are "created in righteousness and true holiness" (Eph
4:24). Positional sanctification and positional holiness are "true"
sanctification and holiness. In his position in Christ, the
Christian stands righteous and accepted before God forever. Compared
to this, no other aspect of this truth can have an equal
recognition. But let no person conclude that he is holy, or
sanctified, in life because he is now said to be holy, or
sanctified, in position. While all believers are sanctified
positionally, there is never a reference in any of these Scriptures
to their daily lives. The daily-life aspect of sanctification and
holiness will be found in another and entirely different body of
truth which may be termed,

II. EXPERIMENTAL SANCTIFICATION

As positional sanctification is absolutely disassociated from the
daily life, so experimental sanctification is absolutely
disassociated from the position in Christ. Experimental
sanctification may depend (1) on some degree of yieldedness to God,
(2) on some degree of separation from sin, or (3) on some degree of
Christian growth to which the believer has already attained.

1. Experimental Sanctification the Result of Yieldedness to God.

Whole self-dedication to God is our reasonable service: "That ye
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,
which is your reasonable service" (Rom 12:1). By so doing the
Christian is classified and set apart unto God by his own choice.
This is self-determined separation unto God and is an important
aspect of experimental sanctification. "And being servants unto God,
ye have fruit unto holiness" (sanctification, Rom 6:22).

Sanctification cannot be experienced as a matter of feeling or
emotion any more than justification or forgiveness. A person may be
at peace and be full of joy because he believes he is set apart unto
God. So also, by yielding unto God, a new infilling of the Spirit
may be made possible which will result in a blessedness in life
hitherto unknown. This might be either sudden or gradual. In any
case it is not the sanctification that is experienced: it is the
blessing of the Spirit made possible through sanctification or a
more complete separation unto God.

2. Experimental Sanctification the Result of Freedom from Sin.

The Bible takes full account of the sins of Christians. It does
not teach that only sinless people are saved, or kept saved; on the
contrary, there is faithful consideration of, and full provision
made for, the sins of saints. These provisions are both preventive
and curative.

(a) There are three divine provisions for the prevention of sin
in the Christian: The Word of God with its clear instructions (Psa
119:11), the present interceding, shepherding ministry of Christ in
Heaven (Rom 8:34; Heb 7:25. Note, Luk 22:31; Joh 17:1-26), and the
enabling power of the indwelling Spirit (Gal 5:16; Rom 8:4).
However, should the Christian sin, there is

(b) the divinely provided cure, which is the present advocacy of
Christ in Heaven by which He pleads His own sufficient sacrificial
death. Thus, and only thus, imperfect believers are kept saved.

The divine prevention of sin is imperative in the case of every
child of God, since so long as he is in this body he retains a
fallen nature which is ever prone to sin (Rom 7:21; 2Co 4:7; 1Jo
1:8). The Scriptures promise no eradication of this nature, but
there is a moment-by-moment victory promised through the power of
the Spirit (Gal 5:16-23). This victory will be realized just so long
as it is claimed by faith and the conditions for a Spirit-filled
life are met.

The sin-nature itself is never said to have died. It was
crucified, dead, and buried with Christ; but since this was
accomplished two thousand years ago, the reference is to a divine
judgment against the nature which was gained by Christ when He "died
unto sin." There is no Bible teaching to the effect that some
Christians have died to sin and some have not. The passages include
all saved persons (Gal 5:24; Col 3:3). All believers have died unto
sin in Christ's death; but not all believers have claimed the riches
which were provided for them by that death. We are not asked to die
experimentally, or to enact His death; we are asked to "reckon"
ourselves to be dead indeed unto sin. This is the human
responsibility (Rom 6:1-14).

Every victory over sin is itself a separation unto God and is
therefore a sanctification. Such victory should ever be increasing
as the believer comes to know his own helplessness and the marvels
of divine power.

3. Experimental Sanctification in Relation to Christian Growth.

Christians are immature in wisdom, knowledge, experience and
grace. In all these things they are appointed to grow, and their
growth should be manifest. They are to "grow in grace and in the
knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." Beholding the glory
of the Lord as in a glass, they are "changed into the same image
from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." This
transformation will have the effect of setting them more and more
apart. They will, to that extent, be more sanctified.

A Christian may be "blameless," though it could not be truthfully
said of him that he is "faultless." The child laboring to form his
first letters in a copybook may be blameless in the work he does;
but the work is not faultless. We may be walking in the full measure
of our understanding today, yet we know that we are not now living
in the added light and experience that will be ours tomorrow. There
is perfection within imperfection. We who are so incomplete, so
immature, so given to sin, may "abide in him."

III. ULTIMATE SANCTIFICATION

This aspect of sanctification which is related to our final
perfection, will be ours in the glory. By His grace and transforming
power He will have so changed us -- spirit, soul and body -- that we
will be "like him," and "conformed to his image." He will then
present us "faultless" before the presence of His glory. His bride
will be free from every "spot and wrinkle." It therefore becomes us
to "abstain from every appearance of evil. And the very God of peace
sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and
body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ."

QUESTIONS

1. Is the exact meaning of the words sanctify, holy, and saint
ever changed as used in the Scriptures?

2. In what sense are all believers said to be sanctified?

3. State on what ground they are thus sanctified and to what
degree of perfection.

4. Is positional sanctification real and abiding?

5. What relation does it sustain to the believer's daily life?

6. What are the aspects of experimental sanctification?

7. How may one promote his own experimental sanctification?

8. a. What is promised as to the prevention of sin in a
Christian?

b. What is promised as to the cure of sin in
a Christian?

9. In what sense is a victory over sin a sanctification?

10. What is the relation between Christian growth and
sanctification?

11. May an immature and inexperienced Christian be
experimentally set apart unto God?

12. What difference is possible between being blameless and
being faultless?

13. May experimental sanctification increase as we receive more
light?